Woman crushed to death by Boston drawbridge as it is lowered

BOSTON (Reuters) — A woman was crushed to death during the lowering of a drawbridge in East Boston and the bridge operator has been put on leave pending an investigation, authorities said on Wednesday.

.A preliminary investigation showed the unnamed, Boston-area woman was attempting to walk across the structure, the Meridian Street Bridge, on Tuesday when it was raised to allow a vessel to pass on the Chelsea River below, Boston Police said in a statement posted online.Grant said the woman had been crushed by the bridge as it was being lowered..."Obviously, it's a tragedy," she said.

The bridge operator, whose name has not been released, was taken to the hospital with stress-related conditions after the accident on Tuesday afternoon, said Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas Menino...Police said the operator was cooperating with authorities.

A hearing on the matter will be held next week, Joyce said. (Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Steve Orlofsky)..